Celebrate we will Because life is short But sweet for certain We're climbing two by two To be sure these days continue Things we cannot change...

Dave Matthews Band

On January 2 my childhood best friend's mother, Jan, passed away. Sadly, I had not seen her in years; I never got to say goodbye. Though it had been years since I'd seen her, the loss of her still hit me. It hit me harder than I realized it would. Growing up, she was like a second mother to me -- very different than my own mother and, in many ways, more like me. There was a sassiness, a sarcasm, to her that I connected with. Like me, she had the tendency to be moody, controlling, to always seek perfection. She often hid behind these things, but so many parts of her were transparent: her love for her daughter and husband, her determination to help those in need, her never-ending quest for knowledge. Over the years she supplemented the things my parents taught me with her own ideas and ways of doing things. She always has been -- and always will be -- a part of the person I turned out to be.

I'm not sure I've fully dealt with the loss yet. I went to the celebration of life service (a beautiful and inspiring alternative to the traditional funeral). I cried alone in my room, rotating the ring she once gave me on my finger. I wrote down a list of memories that came to mind when I heard the word "Jan." And still I don't think it's really had a chance to sink in. Grief is funny that way... It doesn't always happen when it's expected to. But I know it will -- and I know that so many others are grieving the loss of this wonderful woman. The tips below are for them -- and for anyone dealing with grief and loss.

How to Cope with Grief + Loss

1. Find support. There is nothing worse than being alone when you are in pain and grieving the loss of a loved one. Finding support from friends and family members -- and/or outside support from a therapist or grief group -- is absolutely critical. I cannot tell you how wonderful it felt for me when I told the news to my boyfriend and he immediately stopped what he was doing and embraced me. I thought I was okay, but when I felt his arms around me, I knew that I'd been in desperate need of that hug. It's important to grieve in your own way -- and sometimes that means being alone -- but especially in the initial stages of loss, it's essential to surround yourself with people who love and support you.

2. Look after yourself. When you're grieving, it can be hard to remember to take care of yourself. You're dealing with pain and stress and a myriad of emotions that you may not have experienced before. Accept that you are hurting, but don't allow yourself to stop caring for your physical body. Get as much rest as you possibly can. Eat food that will make you feel energize and healthy. Spend time meditating, walking, or taking a long bath -- anything that will leave you feeling more relaxed. It's easier to let things slide when you're upset, but being in an unhealthy, exhausted physical state will make your emotional pain much more magnified.

3. Let yourself feel. If you're anything like me, it's tempting to shut down when hard emotions come along, pushing them to the back of your mind and plowing through life appearing unaffected. Clearly this is not a healthy way to do things (believe me, I know!). It's important to let yourself experience all of the emotions you feel -- anger, hurt, loss, pain, etc. -- and fully experience them. Don't let others tell you how you should or shouldn't feel. Embrace your emotions and remind yourself that it's perfectly okay to feel the way you do. Dealing with loss, I've found, really brings up some odd feelings, but that's okay. You're allowed to feel however you want to feel (now, how you act on those feelings is a different story...).

4. Seek an outlet. I really believe you are entitled to feel whatever the hell you want to feel whenever the hell you want to feel it. That being said, you cannot always act on those emotions. Just because you are angry that a loved one has died doesn't mean you can lash out at loved ones that are still alive. Which is why you need an outlet. Whatever you love to do -- writing, painting, biking, soccer, bowling, etc, etc, etc. -- do it. Find a way to take your emotions and express them in a positive, healthy way. For example, writing's kinda my thing so I'm going to use that as an outlet (see below) to express how I feel about the loss of Jan. Writing really helps me to express my emotions in a positive way. Find what works best for you and do it.

5. Remember the good times. What always bums me out about funerals is all the black, all the sadness, the wet eyes and the sniffling noses. Of course, it's okay (and necessary) to be sad, but focusing on the loss instead of the great life that was lived has always seemed like a bit of a downer practice. Jan's friends and family put together a wonderful celebration of life ceremony, complete with uplifting poems, laugh-out-loud stories, and touching memories. Yes, there were certainly some tears shed, but I left the service thinking, "Wow, Jan had a great life filled with amazing memories and loving friends and family." It was so nice to celebrate her life -- remembering the good times -- instead of mourning her loss. Focusing on the positive makes such a difference.

6. Celebrate life. One of the things we can take away from a loss is a reminder to celebrate our own lives. As death reminds us: life is short. This is something we easily forget when we're healthy and living and going about our day-to-day lives. Take time when you're grieving to remind yourself that life is pretty awesome -- and it's also not infinite. Times of grief should also be times of celebration -- for the lives others have lives, for the lives we're still living. It might seem selfish or unfair to celebrate life when someone has recently lost a life, but it's not. It's most likely exactly what he or she would have wanted you to do.

Below, I've chosen to celebrate Jan's life by documenting some of the memories I shared with her and celebrating all the wonderful things that she was. For most of you, these won't make any sense, but perhaps this will serve as example of something you might want to try if you ever experience the lost of a loved one.

A Celebration of Jan

Jan was a lot of things in her life -- mother, daughter, friend, spouse -- and she was a lot of things to me, a staple in my childhood and teen years, a second mother figure that I looked up to, argued with, and loved. Without her, I would not be who I am and I'm so grateful that she was -- and always will be -- a part of my life. Though the list of things Jan was would be endless, here are a few of the things she was to me:

A patient hair-brusher, slowly untangling the knots from my gnarled hairA gorilla-spotter, finding them even in the unlikely Central ParkA supporter, always encouraging and believing in her daughter (and me!) A crafter, turning the most boring white sweatshirt into an xmas masterpieceA red convertible driver, cruising me and her daughter all over townA kindred soul, adhering to my odd childhood quirks (shower at 7!)A Mac lover, introducing me to what would become my favorite brandA researcher, finding anything and everything online (back in the '90s!)A home-renovator, always tackling a new project with gustoA beach-goer, taking me year after year on family vacations A business starter, launching her own line of stationery (which I still have!)A costume-creator, dressing up me and her daughter like twin babies A scientist, taking on science projects with my mom (milk? soda? water?)A rescuer, soothing my bloodied lip when I fell off my bike (still pissed, Monk!)A friend, cheering me (and my mom) with the daily gifts in DenverA Nordstrom-lover, lunching with us almost every Friday afternoon A firework-watcher, taking me with them to the Pike every July 4thA colored xmas light-user, awing me, who had only ever had white lights A s'mores eater, enjoying a simple treat Eloise-style in The Plaza A generous gift giver, surprising The C.Factory with mounds of giftsA hot cocoa maker, warming us after hours of sledding at the parkA chatter, keeping me entertained on the softball sidelinesA relaxer, showing me that it's okay to relax on a Saturday morningA comfort, letting her daughter and me crawl into her bed during thunderstormsA rule-maker, telling us when to be home (but letting us sneak boys in the yard)A dog-finder, locating the perfect breeder for my first pup, PookyA house-finder, finding the perfect spot just a few blocks from her houseA cheerleader, always celebrating the odd parts of me (8-year-old organizer)A worker, hosting me on Take Your Daughter to Work day like I was her own A roller skate rink maker, entertaining us kids for hours and hoursA Hippo-finder, buying them for me whenever she spotted themA friend, asking me about my school, my boyfriends, my latest hobbiesA mother, welcoming me into her home when my mom was hospitalizedA beautiful soul, the best second mom I could have asked for...

She was all these things and so much more. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone like this in her life -- a kindred soul, a mother figure who is so different from her own mother but just as loving and supportive. I was so fortunate to grow up having two families that loved me, two families that celebrated and encouraged me. Jan was so many wonderful things, and though all that she was will always be with me, her presence here in this world will be missed.

Comments

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What a wonderful post and tribute. It makes me think of people our family has lost this year, and the '2nd mother' that inspired me too. Luckily, Shirley is still here and your post encourages me to reach out and make sure she knows how much I appreciated everything she did for me. I'm sorry for your loss, it sounds like she was amazing.

Bonnie - Thank you. I'm so glad you could relate to this and I hope it's inspired you to get in touch with Shirley. It's so easy to put it off and say you'll get to it another day, but life really is short. Thank you for the kind words about the loss of Jan. She was definitely an amazing person and the world is better because she was in it.

Gina - Thank you for your support. Jan was definitely a great person and I'm lucky to have known her, especially during my formative years. Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. That's so sweet of you!

So sorry for your loss, Dani...This is a beautiful post, a beautiful tribute to a life that seems to have impacted your own in many ways. You're in my thoughts -- may you all find comfort in the memories and peace in the loving.

Thank you so much for posting this. My Grandad died over Christmas and like you, things haven't really sunk in yet. I've just gone back to University so I am dreading the feelings hitting me when I am away from my family.
I hope this post helps me through.

Thank you for posting this. I was just sitting here thinking of my grandmother who I lost in November to cancer. She was an wonderful, caring person who touched many people's lives, but none so much as those of her family.

I'm sorry for you and your friend's loss. This was a wonderful tribute to Jan. i can relate to having a 'second mom' and am so thankful to have worked at the job I did to meet her and still have her in my life to this day. I will keep you and your friend in thoughts.

Bryann - You're welcome. Thank you for reading. I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your grandmother, but it's wonderful that she was the kind of person that touched so many lives. What a fantastic legacy to leave behind.

Saggleo - Thank you. I'm so glad you thought this was a good tribute. It wasn't easy to relive all of the memories, but I wanted to share all of the wonderful times I had with Jan. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts.

dear Dani, thanks so much for sharing this holy tribute to Jan. my only sibling and best friend died last friday. so your words touched me in tender ways. i hold you in my heart as you celebrate and miss Jan and i do the same for Mari AND as we love those who love them both.

This is such a beautiful post - I printed it out and shared with my colleagues. I work in healthcare and we are used to greif and loss - sadly it is a part of our lives and the job. I have yet to see anyone put it as poetically as you have.

I hope you don't mind but I posted this on my blog for the weekly "Best of Web" blog roundup. Thank you for a beautiful post.

Dani - Thank you! I'm so glad you printed out and shared this post. Dealing with grief and loss (especially on a regular basis - I can't imagine!) can be so trying on anyone who is trying to live a positive and present life. I'm really glad this post spoke to you and thank you so much for including it in the "Best of Web" roundup. I appreciate that!